Local cheerleading squad to attend Special Olympics World Games
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (WJLA) -- It's not every day that a group of cheerleaders from Montgomery County gets the chance to travel across the country to Los Angeles. But these aren't just any cheerleaders-- these girls are Team Joy.
Team Joy is the Special Olympics Montgomery County cheerleading squad, and they are traveling to the Special Olympics World Games for the first time ever in the history of the organization.
"Cheerleaders have never been at the World Games," Head Coach Meghan Smith says. "We've only been on the state level. This is the first time ever in Special Olympics history that they will be at the World Games."
The smiles, the focus and dedication, the sense of accomplishment. What better group of girls to represent the USA? And the girls' dedication is matched by that of their head coach.
"They're like my sisters, all of them," Smith says. "We call each other a joy family. It's a team but it's more than a team. It's a family."
It costs about 2,500 dollars for each of these impressive athletes to attend LA2015. To get Team Joy across the country, Smith has started a GoFundMe page to raise the $80,000 necessary.
Team Joy will join with over 250 cheerleaders from around the country to participate in the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. These athletes will join with over 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries. The games span 25 Olympic-style sports.
"Children whether they have an illness or disability are able to do anything and participate and have fun," Anna Vitak, a mother of one of the cheerleaders says.
The World Games, hosted in Los Angeles from July 25-August 2, 2015, will represent the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015.
